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Penetration observations - Carl Labuschagne
These tests have some value as far as clinical penetration depth is concerned, but can never duplicate shots into thick skin, flesh of different constituencies and bones of different densities.
I am no expert on ballistics or media for bullet penetrations. Following is only observations and experiences of years of hunting:
On rhinos I have hunted with clients, I cannot remember ever a bullet that exited on a rhino even on a broadside shot, even the very powerful 500 A Square firing a 600 gr bullet at a velocity of 2 400 ft/sec. Then the following strange thing happened: Anton Marais of Mkuze Falls Safaris brought a bow hunter to my ranch to shoot a rhino. Mark Dedekind, who worked for Anton and had just started his PH career, came along to film the hunt on video. I don't know what strength the bow was that the hunter was using. I have never been interested in hunting big game with a bow and arrow.
The first shot was well placed on the shoulder. The arrow must have hit one of the ribs as it just bounced back in spectacular fashion and landed about a meter from the rhino. No penetration whatsoever! The next two arrows penetrated well and the rhino succumbed and expired quickly. After pictures had been taken with the normal congratulations, the hunter was concerned about the first arrow that had failed so miserably. He then stood back about 15 meters and shot another arrow at the upright broadside rhino. I looked on in astonishment as the arrow zipped right through the animal and travelled 25 meters, where I picked it up where it imbedded itself between some thick grass and top soil. I have kept the arrow, which has lost all its flights all these years since the hunter did not want the arrow. Here now is extreme difference in penetration on the same media on the same day. I have laid awake many nights trying to figure out how it could have happened. In the end, I used the following story to explain the unexplainable.
It was 1958 when one of the dignitaries/VIPs of a small African state visited England. The British tried to impress him with British might and technology. They arranged for him to go on a submarine and a short dive. Afterwards, they asked him what he thought of this great technological wonder. He just laughed and said, "White man's magic!" In the end, I also just laughed about the rhino thing, called it "white man's magic!" and did not worry myself sick trying to figure it all out.
The most far-fetched story about penetration without doubt is told by John Taylor in his book Big Game and Big Game Rifles about his favourite medium calibre rifle, the.375 Holland & Holland Magnum. He supposedly aligned seven eland, one behind the other. (How in the world do you align seven vital triangles or seven eland on one day?). Anyway, he then shot the closest one to him and the bullet (a solid) passed through the seven eland and they all dropped in their tracks except one, which had a broken back. The bullet, according to the account, now passed through a five-inch thick tree and it would seem that the bullet is still in flight somewhere in the bush today! I think the man had been drinking a large amount of his favourite whiskey to relate such stories and hope other hunters will believe you!
I have seen two blesbuck drop together to one shot as well as two impala. Otherwise, all multiple penetrations have always resulted in a wounded animal that took difficult tracking to finish the mess.
The greatest 'shot' I ever saw was after a thunderstorm one night. The next morning, I found twelve impala dead under a small tree from one lightning 'shot'.
One of the most unexplainable bizarre shots was on a springbuck. One of my clients was using a 7 mm Remington Magnum with bullets I cannot remember the make of. The springbuck stood broadside at 150 meters and the shot was right on the shoulder. It fell down dead and on examination, as there was no exit hole on the small animal, we were all amazed to see that the bullet had made a 90-degree turn inside the small body, travelled to the back and then turned again down the back leg and exited the leg at the ankle and into the ground. Just a small price of copper was recovered in a shallow hole in the ground. After again lain awake too many nights trying to come up with an explanation, I once again told myself, "white man's magic!"
Penetration is a very interesting phenomenon. It is just impossible to get two shots from a rifle to penetrate the same animal in exactly the same way. The angle is never the same, neither are the tissue and bones encountered on the way...
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